Jamie Proctor sent several Facebook messages to the victim on May 10 last year which were intended to intimidate him and cause the course of justice to be obstructed, perverted or interfered with.
The court was told Proctor sent the messages while on bail before he was later convicted after trial on May 23 for drink driving.
Prosecutor Ellie McManus said the defendant – age 27 – told the witness: ‘Trying to get someone done for something they did not do is sad mate.
‘I am coming for you after the 23rd, I can promise you that. Snitches get stitches and you’re just a liar. I am not going down for something I did not do.
‘Watch your back mate, because I am going to pull your lying head off.’
He had originally denied that he had crashed his Yamaha quad bike into the complainant while nearly twice over the legal alcohol limit.
Magistrates later convicted the defendant of driving on an unnamed road near Stone Lea in Cartmel after consuming 152 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.
READ MORE: Cartmel man drink driving on quad bike banned after causing accident
Proctor, of Haggs Lane, Cartmel, was sentenced for the offence at the Sessions House, Preston Crown Court on January 7.
He admitted the intimidation offence in police interview before telling officers: ‘I am not a fighter, I could not fight my way out of a wet paper bag. I just flipped my biscuit because he was lying’.
Representing the defendant, barrister James Preece said his client did not intend to carry out the threats made.
Mr Preece added: “He got angry at reading the prosecution’s case for the drink driving offence and in frustration he sent those messages.
“He is alcohol dependent and can drink between 10 to 14 cans of beer per day. He acknowledges he has a significant problem.
“He expresses remorse and is ashamed of his behaviour. He should not have behaved in such a threatening manner.”
“There was a small number of messages sent on a single occasion. There was no actual face-to-face contact.
“His actions caused limited distress to the victim and did not have an impact on the administration of justice.
“He is very much aware that the court can send him to prison for this offence and can have no complaints.
“However, he is worried about his own mental health and if he would be able to cope in a prison environment. In all the circumstances, I ask the court to give him a stark chance by suspending any custodial sentence.”
Recorder Deane deemed the defendant had a history of poor compliance with previous court orders and that the offence was so serious that appropriate punishment could only be achieved by an immediate prison sentence.
As a result, to deter others from committing likeminded offences, she made the decision to jail Proctor for 23 weeks.
